Some city employees will see their medical insurance costs increase, following a vote Monday, May 21, by the Leitchfield City Council.

The city will keep its current coverage with Anthem BlueCross BlueShield, despite the more than $43,000 premium increase that will push its annual insurance bill to $667,430.

The policy includes deductibles ranging from $2,000 to $4,000, no co-payments on doctor’s visits, and no lifetime benefits cap.

The 59 employees choosing “single” coverage will not have to pay any portion of the $27.11 monthly increase in their premiums, but the 15 employees with coverage for themselves and their spouses will pay $14.91 more toward the $56.93 monthly premium increase.

The eight employees with coverage for themselves and their children will pay $10.85 toward the $48.80 monthly increase in their premiums, and the nine employees with family coverage will pay $29.82 more toward the $86.75 increase in their monthly premiums.

About 60 percent of the insurance costs are paid by the city, with the utilities division paying the other 40 percent.

Also Monday, the council:

* Approved the second, and final, reading of an ordinance exempting New York Blower Co. from the city’s ad valorem taxes for five years, and giving $1,000 for each of the first 100 employees the company hires — within 60 months — to the Leitchfield-Grayson County Industrial Development Corp., which is loaning $100,000 for the new plant.

Earlier this month city officials said New York Blower Co. would be opening a facility in the former Trim Masters building, and could hire between 125 and 150 people within five years of opening.

City officials have said a formal announcement by the Willowbrook, Ill.-based firm and Kentucky leaders is expected in late May or early June. No other details were announced Monday night.

New York Blower Co. makes fans and blowers for the industrial and OEM marketplace. It has four subsidiaries — Mechanovent, which makes air-handling equipment; TLT-Babcock, which makes industrial axial fans, centrifugal fans, dampers, and ash-handling systems; Alphair Ventilating Systems, which makes heavy-duty axial fans and centrifugal fans; and MAS Air Systems, which provides customized fans to the OEM and industrial markets, specializing in engineered and high temperature applications.

The former Trim Masters plant — by then known as Toyota Boshoku America — closed in July 2009, leaving 300 people out of work.

* Approved paying $5,000 toward a “scheduling fee” for the television program “Today in America” to film and air a segment on Leitchfield.

Earlier this month, city officials disclosed that the program, hosted by former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback and football analyst Terry Bradshaw, had contacted them about the possibility of Leitchfield being featured in one of its segments.

The program, which airs on the Discovery Channel as well as regional cable programs, covers business topics, health care advances, technological breakthroughs, successful communities and other “positive” stories across the country. “Today in America” buys airtime to broadcast its segments on the cable channels — and passes those costs along to those it profiles, much like a production company charges for making a commercial.

In exchange for the “scheduling fee,” the city would have full editing rights on the script and re-broadcast rights allowing it to post the video on the city’s Web site, the Grow Grayson industrial development Web site, Twin Lakes Regional Medical Center’s Web site and others.

The city’s tourism commission, the industrial board and the hospital had already approved contributing $5,000 each to the project.

* Approved posting lightening policies at the ball fields and pool noting the city follows ASA and American Red Cross recommendations suspending play and swimming for at least 30 minutes after the last sound of thunder is heard from a storm.